The caravan traveled south along the main road. They had been on the road for three days.
The wheels rumbled over the flagstones, the sound monotonous and drawn-out.
The scenery along the way was much the same: withered trees, barren fields, and the occasional crow sweeping past. It made the road seem all the more desolate.
Su Derong sat on the left side of the carriage shaft, his folding fan unusually put away.
He turned his head to glance at Chen Jianghe beside him, who sat with his back straight and his gaze sweeping the roadside from time to time. Suddenly, he smiled.
"Jianghe, why are you so tense? Relax a little. It's only the third day."
Chen Jianghe sat on the right. Hearing this, he drew his gaze back from the surroundings and replied, "Senior Brother, are escort missions always this... peaceful?"
Su Derong shook his head and lightly tapped his knee with the fan ribs. "Peaceful is how it should be. Escorting goods takes skill not just in what you see, but even more in following the rules."
He paused, his tone turning teasing. "You think all those tales of flashing blades and flying swords the storytellers spin are an everyday thing? They're just there to entertain people. Real skill in escort work is seventy percent knowing the rules."
Chen Jianghe turned to face him. "Senior Brother, I'd be glad to hear more."
Su Derong held up three fingers. "First, the route. This South Route Three is the Su Family's longest-running fixed route. Every rest stop along the way, every stretch of terrain prone to ambush, even the hours when we should speed up—all of it was determined through lives lost. Never change course on your own, and never take a shortcut to save time. That's ironclad."
He pointed his fan at Zhao Tieshan, who was riding a dozen yards ahead. "See Old Zhao? There's a method to every signal he uses to scout and every position he chooses for the sentries. When passing through woods, we take the middle of the road. When we reach a gorge, we send scouts ahead. When we rest, we pick open ground sheltered from the wind. These things may seem trivial, but they're lessons bought with blood."
Chen Jianghe pondered this. "So although these past few days have seemed peaceful, every step has been governed by the rules?"
"Exactly." Su Derong patted his shoulder in satisfaction. "Second, people. Along the route, we only use teahouses, inns, and supply villages with people we know well. We don't stay at newly opened inns, drink water offered by unfamiliar faces, or get too friendly with merchant caravans that strike up a conversation on the road. You can never let your guard down around people."
He lowered his voice. "Did you know that last year, the New City Escort Agency tried to save money by staying at a newly opened inn? It turned out to be a trap set by bandits. The whole team was wiped out, and the cargo was gone."
Chen Jianghe's heart tightened.
"Third, and most important," Su Derong said solemnly, "don't make trouble, but don't fear it either. If soldiers stop us for an inspection, we pay them off as needed. If street thugs try to extort us, we give them a few bits of silver and send them on their way. But if anyone really sets their sights on the cargo—"
He snapped his fan shut and tapped it against his palm. "Then there's nothing left to discuss. We settle it with our fists. But there are rules even to fighting: if you strike, you strike decisively and leave no trouble behind. In this world, soft-hearted people can't escort goods."
Chen Jianghe committed the advice to memory.
Su Derong checked the sky and estimated how far they had traveled, then called out, "Sun's Tea Stall, three li ahead! We'll rest for half an hour! People and horses can drink, but don't unload the carts!"
"Understood!"
The caravan slowly came to a halt beside a crude teahouse by the road.
It was little more than a thatched shelter, with three or four crooked-legged wooden tables. An old man squatted by a clay stove, boiling water. The iron kettle on top hissed and bubbled, sending up white steam.
Zhao Tieshan dismounted first and went into the shelter to exchange a few words with the old man. He took out several copper coins and set them on the table, then waved the caravan over.
Su Derong led Chen Jianghe to a table farther inside and sat down.
Zhou Yong and Wang Gui came in after them, while the porters spread out beneath the trees outside, chewing on dry rations and keeping their eyes peeled.
"Brother Chen," Zhou Yong said suddenly after draining a large bowl of tea and wiping his mouth, "this time you're riding in the lead carriage with the Young Gang Leader. Have you figured anything out?"
The question sounded casual, but Chen Jianghe heard the faint barb beneath it.
He raised his eyes to look at Zhou Yong.
The lean man watched him with a mocking half-smile, turning a rough pottery bowl in his hands.
Everyone else also turned their gaze toward Chen Jianghe.
Chen Jianghe replied calmly, "I've noticed a few things. For example, when we passed through that stretch of woods earlier, Master Zhao deliberately kept away from the edge and rode down the middle of the main road. Was that because the dense woods made it easy to hide people, and the wind was blowing from the forest, making the smell of smoke from an ambush hard to detect?"
Zhou Yong froze.
Zhao Tieshan's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "Sharp eyes, Brother Chen. That forest is called Ghost's Sorrow. There are lots of branching paths and uneven terrain inside, and bandits used to hide in there and shoot arrows at passing caravans. By riding down the middle, we stay far from both sides. Even if there's an ambush, it'll take them time to rush out, giving us a chance to react."
Chen Jianghe continued, "There's also the timing of our rest stops. We set out at the hour of the Dragon, then take our first break at a quarter past the hour of the Snake, when people and horses are getting tired. Half an hour is just enough to recover without delaying us too much. Is that something you've learned through years of experience?"
Even Wang Gui raised his head this time, surprise showing on his honest face.
Su Derong laughed and opened his fan. "Not bad, Jianghe! It's only been three days, and you've already figured out the rules."
Chen Jianghe turned to Zhao Tieshan and asked, "Master Zhao, I saw you dismount to inspect the road earlier. Were you checking the wheel tracks?"
Zhao Tieshan perked up and dragged over a stool. "That's right! You're observant, Brother Chen. There's a lot of traffic on this main road, so the wheel tracks overlap one another. But there's a big difference between fresh tracks and old ones. The edges of fresh tracks are sharp, and the soil is damp; old tracks have blurred edges, and the soil is dry and pale. If there are tracks going one way but none coming back, or if the tracks suddenly stop, then you need to be careful. It may mean something happened up ahead, or someone deliberately erased the traces."
Chen Jianghe listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
Wang Gui chimed in, "Old Zhao's skills have saved us several times. Last year, when we were passing through Sky-Split Gorge, he spotted fresh rubble on the cliff and insisted on stopping the caravan from going through. Half an hour later, that section of cliff really did collapse, burying three carts from a merchant caravan passing through."
Zhao Tieshan waved a hand. "They're just lessons bought with our lives. Nothing worth mentioning."
Chen Jianghe was about to reply when Zhou Yong suddenly gave a mocking snort nearby. He stood, brushed the dust off his trousers, and sauntered over.
"Brother Chen is certainly observant. But just knowing what to look for isn't enough in escort work. When something really happens, it comes down to whose fists are harder."
The words weren't harsh, but everyone could hear the barb in them.
Su Derong waved his fan and glanced at Zhou Yong with a faint smile, saying nothing.
Chen Jianghe looked up, his expression calm. "You're right, Brother Zhou. I've only just joined, and there are plenty of rules I don't know. I should watch and learn more."
"You do need to learn." Zhou Yong folded his arms and looked down at him. "But there are things you can't learn just by watching. Take this escort job, for example. If something happens, there'll be blood. I wonder if the punches you practiced at the martial arts school can stand up to a real fight."
The atmosphere turned awkwardly still for a moment.
Zhao Tieshan frowned and was about to smooth things over, but Su Derong pressed his fan down slightly, signaling for him to hold back.
Chen Jianghe slowly stood and smiled at Zhou Yong. "What? Do you want to test me?"
"Why not?" Zhou Yong's eyes lit up. It was obvious he'd been waiting a long time for those words. "But this isn't the place. Tonight we'll be staying at Old Yang Inn, one of the Su Family's long-standing connections. The courtyard is spacious. We can stretch our limbs a little then, just to help everyone pass the time. How about it?"
Wang Gui rubbed his hands nearby and grinned. "Sounds good! The road gets dull during an escort mission. A little sparring will get the blood flowing, and it won't break any rules."
Chen Jianghe looked at Su Derong. Su Derong smiled as he waved his fan. "It's an old tradition at the escort agency. We spar privately during rest stops, stopping before anyone gets hurt so we don't damage our comradeship. Jianghe, think of it as a chance to gain some real combat experience."
"Fine." Chen Jianghe nodded. "Then I'll ask Brothers Zhou and Wang for pointers tonight."
He turned to leave. As he passed Chen Jianghe, Zhou Yong lowered his voice and tossed out, "Kid, a sharp tongue is useless. You need fists of steel."
Chen Jianghe smiled without replying.
Zhao Tieshan came over and patted Chen Jianghe on the shoulder. In a low voice, he said, "Brother Chen, that's just Zhou Yong's temperament. He's been at the escort agency a long time and thinks of himself as an old hand. Don't take it to heart. Just let your fists do the talking."
Chen Jianghe smiled. "Don't worry, Master Zhao. I understand."
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Su Derong stood. "Let's go."
Everyone packed up, and the caravan set off again.